Fairfield-Hocking Major Crimes Unit expands to Athens County

LANCASTER – The Fairfield-Hocking Major Crimes Unit is shortening its name and dropping the county designations now that the agency has expanded to include another southeastern Ohio county.

Law enforcement officials announced Wednesday that Athens County will now be included in MCU operations, and police are in the process of setting up a satellite office for four Athens County officers.

MCU Commander Eric Brown said the addition is strategic for the unit; additional manpower, intelligence sharing and potential funding is out there for a larger, tri-county unit.

"Working together only makes sense," Brown said after the merger was announced Wednesday.

The unit has been working on the Athens County integration for a few months.

In addition to investigating major crimes, with a heavy focus on drug trafficking, in Fairfield and Hocking counties, detectives will now work directly with the Athens County Sheriff's Office, Athens and Nelsonville police departments, the Ohio University Police Department, and the Athens County Prosecutor's Office.

The idea is to expand the coverage area prominently affected by drug trafficking organizations using U.S. 33 as a major route to transport narcotics, officials said.

"We are looking forward to the collaboration with our law enforcement partners in Athens County," Brown said.

"When this proposal was first discussed, everyone felt it was a good fit when all three counties are being affected by drug traffickers and drug trafficking organizations using the U.S. 33 corridor from Columbus into southeast Ohio," he said. "We hope that the sharing of intelligence and resources that all of the agencies possess will have a positive influence on the communities and citizens of Athens County."

Brown said the merger will not affect current coverage of Fairfield or Hocking county areas.

"They're going to receive the same level of service they always have," Brown said.